Posted on 12/12/2004 4:20:42 PM PST by stockpirate
The Technology
Introduction
Metal Storm's technology provides a means whereby objects, such as bullets that have been tightly grouped in multiple tube containers such as barrels, can be stored, transported in and electrically fired from those same containers. These containers or barrels can be grouped in any configuration, to meet any particular application.
The technology has no known equivalent, and can provide an electronically variable burst rate of fire, from conventionally slow to previously unobtainable rates, in excess of one million rounds per minute.
The technology was originally inspired by a desire to try to reduce the number of mechanical steps required to load, fire, eject and reload weapons. In a quantum leap Metal Storm takes ballistics from nineteenth century mechanical operations into the new millennium.
The Concept
Metal Storm's technology achieves its unparalleled performance through the concept of numerous bullets stacked in a barrel, with each bullet separated by a propellant load, such that the leading propellant can be reliably ignited to fire the bullet, without the resulting high pressure and temperature causing unplanned blowby ignition of the trailing propellant load, and without collapse of the projectile column in the barrel.
This unique concept has been accomplished through the invention of a bullet which on the one hand expands and locks in the barrel in response to high pressure immediately in front of the bullet. As a consequence, each bullet in turn can be fired in sequence from the barrel, and an individual barrel tube, loaded with numerous rounds and exclusive of any ammunition feed or ejection system, breech opening, or any mechanical operation whatsoever, when provided with an electric priming system is, in effect, a complete weapon.
Barrels can be grouped in any configuration required for a particular application, while remaining simple and compact, and have no moving parts, no separate magazine, no ammunition feed or ejection system. Excluding consideration of appropriate ancillary systems such as recoil control systems, target acquisition systems and turreting systems, the only moving parts in Metal Storm's barrel technology are the bullets.
Use of the Technology
As an effective military weapon system, the technology offers the safety of 100% electronic keying capabilities, the advantage of on-board selection of a non-lethal response capability, and in another form, the potential to provide an area denial capability without the use of conventional landmines.
The technology also has potential application in a range of diverse commercial areas, including fire fighting, fireworks, precision agricultural chemical distribution, fastening systems for use in the construction industry, and seismic surveying for minerals and oil.
I live in Jersey, but not for long, and I was unaware that they are working of that program.
I think once the company sees that it is only NJ that has the law it will not move on.
PS, I did a seaarch on the name "Metal Storm" and no posts showed up.
The point of the system is not a one shot one kill concept, but one of overwhelming force. If you view the video they show where it can lay down a pattern of 40mm granades 100 yards across by 2 miles in just a few seconds.
Think what this could do to a large force attacking our troops in an over run situation.
bttt
Try the archives..
This thing is impressive. The History Channel has had it on 'Modern Marvels' and 'Tales of The Gun'. It sounds like a huge hive of angry bees when it is fired.
Ah ha, something I do not know about, (actually one of many) LOL
It still will not replace an rifleman with the concept one shot one kill! It seems to be a waste of ammo, but that just my thoughts.
No, you can't have it for Christmas, don't even ask!
;-)
After you clear all of that ground with your million rounds you still need a rifleman to shoot the one you didn't get. It'll take too long to reload the million round clip to get that last guy.
This year the reloader.
Next year the gun!
If I reload all year I can have one minute of fun next Christmas!
"I can't figure it out; maybe it takes two years to load the one million rounds."
- If this is the same idea that I think it is, it's been around for a lot of years. As I read about it then, you marry a bullet, not to a brass casing, but to a solid propellant like that used in sold fuel rockets. The solid fuel can be ignited by anything from an electrical current to hot burning gasses from the previous round.
In this idea, it seems they have produced tubes of bullet/propellant, bullet/propellant, etc., all fused together in any length you want - then stuff the tubes into a barrel and let her rip. It's not clear from the story if the barrel is then discarded or what happens to it. The problem with the concept was that the barrels became quickly dirty with unspent propellant and, more importantly, without rifling in the barrel, the bullets were not accurate.
For sustained fire at the rate of a million rounds /minute it would take a pretty substantial aircraft. In addition to the weight of the ammo some of Newton's laws would have a major effect on the flight characteristics during the firing.
Seems to me I've read the same article on FR a couple of times now, the first time 5 years ago or more....
The point of the system is not a one shot one kill concept, but one of overwhelming force. If you view the video they show where it can lay down a pattern of 40mm granades 100 yards across by 2 miles in just a few seconds.
Think what this could do to a large force attacking our troops in an over run situation."
Gee, yeah, pretty exciting--but what if the attackers in an "over-run situation" were strung out in echelon--or in a two hundred yard by 4 miles formation? Suppose there were two waves--how long does it take to reload--several hours?
Let's think about reloading the 36 barrels. You probably couldn't get more than a couple of guys working on it at a time--plus of course all the ammo bearers lined up for a mile behind them with the million rounds. Or do they have a quick insert clip available? (I'd like to see that Big Boy)
I've seen the video. Lots of flame and fury. BUT I'm trying to think how this weapon would be integrated into the forces we have. One per army?
Maybe the better part of valor would be to spend the money on the troops and their marksmanship training. "One shot, one kill" still sounds like a better alternative to me.
"you still need a rifleman to shoot the one you didn't get"
Yeah, they don't talk about how you stop the thing after oh,let's say a couple of hundred-thousand rounds or so.
What do you do if the enemy ducks into a foxhole--and you're standing there with a sick smile on your face and 36 limp barrels in your hand.
The units are computer controlled, so firing rates are determined by need. You need to go and review the workings of the system before you write about what you don't understand.
The firing units are in big boxes and the boxes are configurations of lots of loaded barrels, you just change boxes.
A box 6' X 6' by 8 foot long could hold hundreds of barrels of 40 mm granades, with each barrle loaded with maybe 50 granade rounds. There is no shell, just the round in the barrel. Each round is fired by computer, like an ink jet printer.
ping
I recall a D-Day show.
The rocket artillery ships (barges?) plodded along at something around 7kts. Once they started launching, it was -3kts.
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